The Chosen One
by winky-golden
Summary: I have decided to stop writing this story. Sorri folks but i just cant write anything. But I'll be starting a new story. So pls support me. Thx
1. Prologue

This is my very first fanfic. Dictionary is involved (my English isn't very good). Hope you enjoy my story. Pls R&R.  
  
Disclaimers: I do not own any one from FF9. The only things I own are the characters I created myself. So don't sue me, OK?  
  
  
  
The Chosen One - Prologue  
  
The story took place one year after the game.  
  
Chanting was heard echoing through the cold, slimy walls of the mines. Deep down the tunnels of an abandoned underground mine, a ritual was held. A magical circle was drawn and 13 hooded people stood at their prospective position on the circle. At the center of the circle, a bonfire was prepared and lighted up. The light of the bonfire lit up the entire area, revealing complicated networks of scaffolds erected by generations of miners before they abandoned these mines. Beside the bonfire stood a man. He was hooded as well and had strange markings imprinted onto his cloak. He was murmuring something under his breath and after he finished, he threw a handful of strange-colored dust into the flames. The red flames exploded and turned into black roaring fire.  
  
" The time has finally come," the hooded men exclaimed, looking up at the ceiling as if he could see through them, he continued, " The Seven Stars has finally moved into position. Hurry! Bring the girl in!" He signaled to the two hooded guards. They entered one of the mines' many entrances and returned with a teenager. They dragged her to the center of the circle and tied her onto a cross, which was set up earlier in front of the fire. Her hair was messy, her clothes were torn and her feet were badly lacerated by the long hours of walking through the tunnels. Her head was hanging heavily on her neck ----- she was drugged.  
  
" Let the ritual begin," the man commanded. The 13 people started to recite a different chant in a language on ordinary man know. He moved nearer to the black flames and chanted a spell. Then, an unusual wind ----- a wind which sent chills down people's spine ----- stirred in the mines. The black flames grew bigger and burned fiercer than usual. A few moments later when the flames subsided, a gate, made out of human bones, was appeared. The bloody-looking door cracked opened in front of the girl. Purplish-black smoke came out of the opened gate and surrounded the girl.  
  
Slowly, the smoke began to take shape. It was-- an outline of a woman. The onlookers watched with fear and amazement as the smoke danced around the girl. Then, it stopped abruptly facing girl. Very swiftly, the spirit's smoky hand reached in the girl's chest. The girl suddenly woke up. She felt excruciating pain coursing through her veins and nerves. She struggled for air as if she was suffocating. Then, the spirit removed its hand from the girl's chest and held out a whit shiny ball ----- the girl's soul. The body hung limply on the cross.  
  
The spirit turned to see the gate closing. Before it completely closes, the spirit threw the ball into the gate, sending the girl's soul into Eternal Hell. The gate then vaporized and disappeared. The smoke laughed but no sound was heard from it. It turned and faced the body, moved into position as the body was and fused with it. The bystanders waited and watched. She wasn't moving. Then, the ropes and the cross were magically burned away and the limped body fell into the ground.  
  
The woman lay on the cold hard floor to a few seconds before she slowly stumbled onto her feet. She watched her fingers moved in front of the face, looking amazed, as if this was the first time she saw her fingers moved. Then, she touched her own face, feeling the warmth of the skin and flesh. She smiled. Her lips cracked into mirthless laughter. The man beside the bonfire knelt before her, so as the 13 hooded people and the two guards.  
  
" Welcome back, my queen," he said respectfully.  
  
The woman looked at him and commented, " You did well, Aspen. 3000 years has passed but your loyalty did not disappoint me," then she looked at the others and continued, " With this new body, I shall bring darkness to this world again. AHAHAHAHA!" Her eerie, high-pitched laughter echoed through the ghostly mines.  
  
  
  
The atmosphere in the temple was uneasy. The Four Elders were sitting together in a circle, meditating in the meditation hall. Then, the Four Elders were disturbed from their meditation.  
  
Silence.  
  
" Evil, great evil. She . . . she's back," Isaac, one of the Four Elders, broke the silence, his voice a little shaken.  
  
" What should we do?" Menardi whispered, barely audible. The others looked at the Wise One, who was sitting in the center of the circle, expecting answers. The Wise One exhaled loudly and looked up into the night sky through the ceiling of the meditation hall, then calmly said, " It's about time." The Four Elders looked at each other with a confused look plastered on their faces, obviously not understanding what the Wise One meant. Just then, the door flung opened, one of the students of the temple was leaning against the door entrance, panting.  
  
" The . . . the ring. Some . . . something's wrong . . . with the ring," he said as he gasped for air. The Four Elders got into their feet and made their way to the Ring Chamber, leaving the Wise One behind. However, the Wise One remained seated in the circle. The boy stared at the Wise One and asked, " Aren't ya leaving, Wise One?" Keeping his silence, the Wise One got up from his cushion and walked slowly to the door. " There's no need to hurry, young man. The Four Elders just take things too seriously," the Wise One chuckled.  
  
When the Four Elders reached the Ring Chamber, a strange sight 'welcomed' them. Lights shone brightly from the room and outside stood two terrified students. The Four Elders could not enter the room because the rays of light were painful to the eyes and there was a force, which kept them from entering the room. There was nothing they could do about.  
  
" What happened?" Odlem questioned the two students.  
  
One of them answered, " We had to clean up the Ring Chamber as a punishment. Then, half way cleaning, the ring suddenly started to spin and this bright light thingy happened, Elder Odlem."  
  
" Cleaning the Ring Chamber at . . ." before Odlem could complete his sentence, an even brighter light was suddenly produced, lighting up the entire corridor. Then the ring flew off, boring a hole through the ceiling of the chamber.  
  
" The . . . the ring," stammered the other startled student. The Four Elders were shocked as well.  
  
" Don't worry. The ring is fine," said an irritatingly cheerful voice. The Wise One appeared from around the corner of the corridor with the boy.  
  
" Wise One, you are late," exclaimed Isaac, " What took you so long?"  
  
"Age," said the Wise One (he is reaching eighty), " Well, we'll discuss about the ring in the meditation hall and send these students back to their dormitory.  
  
  
  
In the meditation hall: " Where could the ring be to?" asked Menardi, she was on tenterhooks about the ring.  
  
" Don't worry. The ring just gone off to look for the Chosen One," the Wise One said in his usual cheerful tone. But the Four Elders were not happy about the Wise One's indifferent attitude.  
  
" You should be serious about this, Wise One. This isn't the time to joke," Menardi hissed through gritted teeth. The other three nodded in unison.  
  
" Ha, don't worry, Menardi," chirped the Wise One, " the show truly begin when the Chosen One is being brought here." He pointed his right index finger towards the ground, indicating the temple.  
  
" And may I asked who is going to do this task?" Cline asked.  
  
" Well, I know a person who is extremely good at this," exclaimed the Wise One.  
  
" Oh no. Not her, Wise One," Odlem whined.  
  
" Don't worry, Odlem. I know she would do a marvelous job. Besides, she is the keeper of one of the Seven Stars. Trust her, Odlem, trust her," said the Wise one, reassuring Odlem.  
  
So how? I'm sorwy for the length of the story. This is just the prologue so no FF9 characters in yet. Next chapter, The ring found its owner. Once again, PLS R&R. ~winky golden, Oct 20th 2002~ 


	2. The Ring Found Its Owner

This chapter was done in the very last moment and y? That's becoz I wont be able to put up another chapter 'till next week (or maybe the week after) and y? THAT'S BECOZ I HAVE TO GO FOR CAMP, THATS Y. DARN IT! I HATE CAMPS. OK (regain self-control), on with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own FF9, ok? I own the characters I created.  
  
  
  
Chapter One: The Ring Found Its Owner  
  
Under the mid-day sun, Dagger was waiting eagerly as she watched Prime Vista II, the new theater ship, arrived and landed on an opened area. The wooden gate flipped opened. Someone was coming as footsteps were heard and it got louder and louder as he got nearer to the exit. Every footstep heard made Dagger more and more tensed. She finally got to look at her love one's face. He finally stepped out into the open and it was . . . Cinna. Cinna's unexpected appearance kind of startled everyone (he was very ugly). Dagger's level of patience for such stupid 'jokes' reached her maximum and she burst out, " Cinna! Where is Zidane?"  
  
" I'm here," chortled the cheeky blonde-headed genome as he stepped out of Prime Vista II. The stern hard look on her face immediately melted away when she saw him. Overpowered by emotions, Dagger ran over and hugged him with tears welling up in her eyes. He held her tight in his arms and gently caressed her soft silky hair. Then, she broke away from their hug, wiped off her tears and blared, " Do you know how long have you been away?" She might be speaking in such a harsh manner but in his eyes, she's like a child who was throwing her tantrum.  
  
" I'm sorry, dear. I have to . . . eh . . . help build this Prime Vista II, you know," Zidane said, pointing his thumb at the ship then putting his arms around her shoulders, not knowing whether she would buy that.  
  
" Zidane!" chirped a young, squeaking voice.  
  
" Hey! Look who's here? It's Eiko and Vivi. I thought you two went back to Madain Sari and the Blake Mage Village," cackle Zidane as he looked at his two young friends. Eiko was jumping up and down happily and though Vivi was happy, he was a little more reserved and self-controlled.  
  
" We came back to accompany Dagger," explained Eiko. " It's your fault for leaving her alone for so long," she blamed Zidane, pointing her small finger at him.  
  
" 'lax Eiko. There's no need to be so agitated," said Zidane, holding up his hands like surrendering. Then, he looked at the stern-looking bodyguard and whispered to Dagger, " So how's Rusty and Beatrice doin',"  
  
Steiner heard what Zidane was saying. He glare at him, began to blush and bellowed, " My business is none of yours and stop calling me Rusty," He turned away, avoiding everyone's eye contact. Zidane couldn't help it but to laugh at a totally embarrassed Steiner. " Shut up, you monkey," shouted Steiner. However, he somehow blushed even more and this caused Zidane to laugh even more. Soon everyone was infected by this 'contagious' laughing disease that everyone was laughing as well.  
  
Night falls: After everyone had their fill at a sumptuous feast, they returned to their prospective rooms to complete their unfinished business. Eiko and Vivi were helping Dagger a little. They helped organizing her paper and stuffs. As you see, ever since Dagger became the queen, she was a very busy person. There were lots of things to handle like the procedures of rebuilding Alexandria (according to the people's request), the reorganizing of the royal council etc. She was glad that Vivi and Eiko were helping her out. Steiner continued to do his duty of protecting Dagger. As for Zidane, he just arrived and had nothing to do. He did not want to disturb Dagger so he decided to visit the castle's garden.  
  
The garden was huge and as it was night, the place looked gloomy and sleepy. But, the cool breeze was welcoming. The breeze, carrying a hint of flower scent, was refreshing to the senses and the mind. Zidane found a suitable spot and lay comfortably on the grass and watched the night sky. It was a perfect night to watch the stars and the two moons for it was a cloudless night. He didn't know why but he seemed to enjoy looking at the blue moon. The light of the moon seemed to mesmerize him. Some how, he couldn't help it but to think about his last adventure. " The stars tonight are beautiful," commented a feminine voice.  
  
" Huh?" Zidane exclaimed as turned and saw Dagger sitting beside him. He was startled and sat up immediately. He was so deep in his thoughts that he did not notice Dagger coming. " Dagger! Oh, yeah, they are beautiful," he gave a quick and uneasy reply.  
  
" What are you thinking?"  
  
" Huh? Oh nothing."  
  
" Really?"  
  
" Well, I'm just thinking about our last adventure. I wander how's Freya, Amarant, Quina doing?"  
  
" Yap, me too."  
  
" So, you finished?" Zidane asked  
  
" Huh? Oh, you mean those work? They are almost done," Dagger answered, " I just came out for breather."  
  
Zidane was rocking himself forward and backward when he asked, " So, you must be lonely when I'm not around." He was concerned about Dagger's well being.  
  
" Well, not really. I have Eiko and Vivi around," She said, smiling at Zidane. She feared that Zidane might blame himself for leaving her for too long.  
  
" I just . . ." Zidane was cut short when Dagger pointed towards the sky and exclaimed, " What's that?" He turned and looked at the direction she was pointing at. There was something in the sky, something like a star but was travelling towards them. The thing was coming closer and closer and it seemed like it was about to hit them.  
  
" DUCK!" Zidane shouted as the thing hit the ground, a few feet away from them. He pushed Dagger aside and shielded her with his body. The loud explosion and a tremendously bright light caught the guards' attention from afar. After the light subsided, the couple got up.  
  
" Are you alright?" Zidane asked.  
  
"I'm . . . I'm fine," Dagger stammered as she hadn't recover from the shock of that blast, " What . . . was that?"  
  
" I don't know," Zidane shuddered his shoulders as he said. The impact of that explosion had created a one-meter in diameter shallow hole.  
  
" What happened?" shouted a distant male voice. It was Steiner. Two Alexandria guards were behind him and Eiko and Vivi were tailing behind.  
  
" What happened?" barked the angry Steiner, " What was that explosion? If anything happens to my Queen, I'll hold you responsible." He pointed at Zidane,  
  
" Relax, Rusty," said Zidane, " Besides, we don't even know what happened." Then, the hole caught Steiner's attention. " Inspect that hole," he ordered the two guards. While they were doing their inspection of that hole, Eiko was busy asking Zidane his well being. He had to tell them that he and Dagger were fine for couple of time before Eiko and Vivi were satisfied that Zidane and Dagger were really all right.  
  
" Sir, we discovered a ring," reported one of the guards.  
  
" Bring it to me," Steiner ordered.  
  
The guards tried means and ways to get the ring off the ground but to no avail. " Sir, we can't. Something's wrong with this ring Sir," said the other guard.  
  
" Useless," Steiner mumbled under his breath as he walked to the hole, " I'll do this." He bent down and to pick up the ring. It was that when he realized that the ring was kinda struck to the ground. Then, using both of his hands and pull hard. He pulls so hard that his face turned red and beads of sweat began to form on his temples, but still the ring refused to barge. He stopped for a while to breathe and prepare himself for one final shot. He cracked his knuckles and began his battle to get the ring off its current position. He used all the strength he had but he lost his grip and feel hard on his butt.  
  
" I can't pick up that ring," Steiner exclaimed, " T-the ring, its too heavy to be lifted."  
  
" Don't be ridiculous, Rusty. How can a ring be THAT heavy?" Zidane made a sarcastic remark.  
  
" Oh then why don't YOU try it out yourself," Steiner challenged him.  
  
" Fine!" Zidane accepted Steiner's challenge without hesitation. He walked to the hole confidently. There the ring was sitting on the earth unmoved by anything yet. When he stared at the ring, he could swear that he saw the ring glowed slightly. He felt strange but he ignored it, and besides, Steiner, with his arms akimbo, was urging him.  
  
" Stop hurrying me!" Zidane argued. He took in a deep breath. Here goes nothing, he said to himself, and strange enough, he was able to get the ring off the ground. Everyone was utterly surprised. He easily lifted a ring, even Steiner the two guards couldn't pick up, off the ground. Even he himself was amazed. " Hey, it isn't heavy. It is as light as feather," Zidane said, as he tossed the ring into the air and caught it.  
  
" Impossible," Steiner murmured. As the ring aroused Zidane's curiosity, he decided to put it on to see what would happen. He took off one of his gloves and slipped the cold metal onto his index finger. A few seconds later, a bright light shone from the ring, turning the dark gloomy area into day, startling everyone. The light was so bright that everyone had to shield his or her eyes away from the light. Zidane instinctively covered the ring but it continued to shine as if his hand was transparent.  
  
Zidane's final option was to remove the ring. He pulls the ring off his finger. As soon as the ring was off, all the light that was produced was being sucked back into the ring. He looked at it, shocked and confused. What the hell had happened? Was the only question Zidane could think about. He looked at his friends for clues but everyone was dumbfounded. What could this means, he thought.  
  
To the ring, it had found the one it had been waiting for 3000 years. It had found the Chosen One.  
  
So how? I think chapter 1 isn't as good as the prologue. Hey, I have written this in the very last minute. I will only be able to update my story next week. Don't ask y (or I might go berserk again). PLS R&R. Remember to catch the next chapter - Going to Sacred Meridian. The mysterious girl is revealed (if you don't know who I'm talking about, read the Prologue).  
  
~winky golden, Oct 22nd 2002~ 


	3. Going To Sacred Meridian

Hi, I'm back. Sorry for the late updates. I came back from the camp last Friday, which is Oct 25th. I rest and eat A LOT of junk food during the weekend. Don't ask about the camp thing because it sucks and I don't want to have any recollection of it. On with the story.  
  
Disclaimer: I own no things from FF9. I own the characters I created.  
  
Chapter 2 - Going to Sacred Meridian  
  
**Just in case for readers who got confused about the time of the story**  
  
Night 1  
  
The evil queen is resurrected.  
  
The ring flew away from the temple.  
  
A mysterious girl from the temple set off on a journey to find the Chosen one.  
  
Day 2  
  
Zidane arrived at Alexandria.  
  
Night 2  
  
The ring flew to Zidane.  
  
Day 3  
  
The girl reached Alexandria. (Time of story starts from here)  
  
Shops were opening and the people were bustling with their own activities. The children were playing along the side of the streets. Alexandria sprang to life as the morning sun rises.  
  
She stepped out of the inn, stretching her tired back and was refreshed by the cool morning air. She wasn't local. It was easy to tell the difference ----- she wore an entirely different outfit from the rest of the people. Here's a little description about this character: She had blue eyes, a fair complexion and shoulder length chestnut brown hair which she tied up neatly into a ponytail. She wore a black coat and folded the long sleeves up to her elbows. The sides or edges of the coat were laced with a thicker red merino. She had two red bangles, one on each hand. Strange yet beautiful patterns were crafted on each of her bangles. Underneath the coat, she wore a simple navy blue T-shirt and long pants. She also had a long red scarf wrapped around her neck. There was something else that was eye-catching about her was that she had this little golden key inserted with a ruby-like stone. Hanging around her neck, the key was supported by a thin gold thread. **End of description** She arrived to Alexandria before dawn, having only a few hours of rest for she had unfinished business.  
  
She reached into one of her front pockets and took out a prune-size crystal ball. Then, a gold arrow surfaced inside the ball and pointed at a direction. She followed where the arrow indicated. People were staring at her, curious about her little crystal ball. But she didn't care. She had much important task to mind about . . .  
  
In the dimly lit hall, she stood before the Wise One and the Four Elders. " May I know why am I here?" she asked. She was kinda annoyed as she was tired and was summoned to the temple in the wee hours of the night. " We have a task for you to perform," the Wise One said, " It has something to do with the ring."  
  
" What happened to the ring, Wise One?" she asked, curious about the ring which was very well protected by the temple. And since it matters with the ring, it must be something very important.  
  
" The ring has awaken, meaning that the Chosen One is somewhere out there," the Wise One explained.  
  
" Really! That's incredible. You said that the ring had been sleeping for at least 3000 years," she exclaimed.  
  
" Yes, and that's your task ----- to find the Chosen One and bring him here," he said. She couldn't believe it. She wasn't mentally prepared for this.  
  
Her jaw dropped. " Me! Wise One, you know how damn important this is and now want me to do this?" she shrieked, looking at the head of the temple with her pitiful eyes. He just nodded his head, answering her question. " I . . . I don't know," she stammered. She was getting desperate, thinking that the Wise One and the Four Elders must be joking. But the solemn looks on the Elders' face and the cheeky smile from the Wise One told her otherwise.  
  
Her knees were beginning to weaken. She wasn't sure she could do this. She had traveled outside of her village to other villages on this island many times but now she had to leave the protection of the mist that surrounds the large island and into the alien world outside. Like the inhabitants of this island, she never stepped out of the place for her entire life, and like many other people and students, she only learnt about the outside world from books and travelers and sages who were permitted to leave the island. She had always wanted to visit the world, as the stories told by travelers were so real that she wanted to see things for herself but she wasn't prepared for such a sudden decision. " O' Wise One, I think I'm not prepared for this," she said, sounding very timid. This showed the unconfident side of her that she never had. But the Wise One just laughed and consoled her, " Don't worry, Anna. You must have faith in yourself. And besides, you have a chance to see the world. Isn't it great?"  
  
" I know its great. Seeing the world has always been my wish but what if I'm lost and I don't even know where that Chosen One is," she argued.  
  
" If you are afraid of getting lost, take this," he passed something to one of the Elder who passed it to her. Then he continued, " This crystal ball is able to lead you to the Chosen One. It also contains a map. So don't worry, you won't get lost with this."  
  
She looked warily at the little crystal ball. Crystal ball, you better be accurate, she thought. " So if you are ready, you must go now," ordered the Wise One. " NOW!? " she exclaimed, nearly shouted out.  
  
" Of course now. Then what, tomorrow? There's no time for tomorrow," the Wise One said sarcastically. " Don't worry, Anna. We'll inform your sisters," reassured Menardi. " Yes, please leave as quickly as possible. The Chosen One is very important," urged Cline. Geez, everyone sounded like they want to get rid of me as soon as possible, she thought. She had no choice but to leave the island in the middle of the night. She traveled for the entire night and day, then night again until she finally, with the aid of the crystal ball, reached Alexandria 1*, for the ball had showed her that the Chosen One was here.  
  
The crystal ball led her to the entrance of the castle. " He's in there? Well, I guess I have to go in," she said to herself. She tried to enter but was stopped by two Alexandria guards. " Sorry, no one is allowed to enter," one of the guards said monotonously.  
  
" I have to enter. I have a very important person to find," she explained.  
  
" No," the other guard said firmly, " If you persist, we shall arrest you."  
  
" Arrest me? You mean catch me? Why? I didn't do anything wrong," she said, backing off as she prepared herself to do something. " I'm sorry. I really have to go in." After she finished and without warning, she cast a spell on the unprepared guards. Both of them fell on the ground unconscious. This didn't attract anyone's attention as the gate was far away from the Town Square. " Enjoy your trip to Slumber Land," she bided the two sleeping guards' farewell as she sneaked through the slight opened gate.  
  
Zidane was wandering through the wide corridor of the castle. His mind was full of thoughts about the ring last night. No matter how hard he thinks, he could not find an answer. Suddenly, he felt something warm holding his hand. He turned to find Dagger by his side. " Dagger! You scare me," he nearly shouted, startled by her sudden appearance.  
  
Dagger didn't say anything. She just tightens her grip. " Dagger dear, you all right?" Zidane asked. "I'm fine, Zidane. I know you are still worry about what happened last night. I hope that you can tell me your worries. I don't want you to carry this burden alone," she said. The way she looked at him made him felt guilty. He wanted so much to tell her his problems but he didn't know how to put his worries and thoughts into words. It's not easy to describe his feelings now. She saw how upset Zidane was. So she couldn't help it but to move nearer to him and gently kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned away, face as red as tomatoes. His eyes widen. He felt his cheeks becoming warmer ----- he was blushing as well. But at least the kiss diverted his thoughts away from the ring. He felt much better.  
  
When both of them turned around the corner and entered the lobby, they saw something unexpected. They saw a girl in black casting Sleep spells at the Alexandria guards, knocking them out. Zidane and Dagger immediately prepared themselves to attack. " What's going on?" he shouted, catching the girl's attention. She turned and stared at them but suddenly a beam of light shot out from the crystal ball she's holding and pointed straight at Zidane. " What the!" Zidane was startled as he tried to get rid of the light, which kept following him. The girl looked amused as well but then a grin drew across her face, as if she knew what was happening. She kept the ball into her pocket and said excitedly, " I found you! OK, come one, we don't have all day. Let's go." Then she ran to Zidane, grabbed him by one of his hands and dragged him to the exit.  
  
" Wait! What are you doing?" Dagger demanded as she went over and grabbed Zidane by the other hand and pulled him towards a different direction. As both of them pull at two different ways, he got so stressed out that he couldn't control himself and roared, " LET GO!" Then, the two women released him. " I'm sorry," Dagger apologized as she knelt beside Zidane who was also on his knees, massaging his aching and nearly broken arms.  
  
" Who are you?" Zidane asked as he got onto his feet with Dagger's help.  
  
" I'm . . . " before she could answer, she was interrupted by Steiner. He barged in through another door, accompanied by Beatrix and following behind were Eiko and Vivi. " I heard there is an intrusion. Where is the intruder?" he shouted. The group saw the weird-looking girl and in a slit second, they drew out their weapons. " Intruder!" Steiner accused the girl as he pointed his long sword at her.  
  
" Ha! Me, intruder! I'm here to fetch him, is there a problem?" she argued, pointing at Zidane. The rest turned their attention onto him. " You know her?" Dagger questioned him. " No! I never seen a girl like her," Zidane tried to convince her not she didn't look like she's believing it. The girl didn't care about current situation. She had much important things to do. " Come one, Chosen One. No more time to lose. I have to get you to Scared Meridian as soon as possible," she was getting impatient and irritated.  
  
" What did you call me?" Zidane asked, staring at her.  
  
" Chosen One," she answered blankly.  
  
**There are lots of dialogues and I'm lazy to describe every one of them** actions () thoughts  
  
Zidane: Why do you call me that?  
  
The girl: That's because you are.  
  
Zidane: I don't get you.  
  
The girl: You ARE the Chosen One, aren't you?  
  
Dagger: What's going on?  
  
Eiko: Yah. Who's the Chosen One?  
  
The girl: He. Point at Zidane  
  
Zidane: Me?  
  
The girl: Duh!  
  
Zidane: I'm confused.  
  
The girl (a realization hits her): Oh great, Chosen One doesn't know he's the Chosen One. This needs hell lot of explaining.  
  
" OK, before I begin my extremely (A/N: Actually it isn't long. Just exaggerating) long explanation, can we do this in a more appropriate room or place and someone, please get rid of these sleeping heads," she said, referring to the sleeping guards. Other guards were called in to get the sleeping guards to rest in their room to wait for the spells to wear off. The group proceeded into the castle's conference room.  
  
The girl: What a big room! It's bigger than my living room.  
  
Steiner: Alright, stop looking around. Do your explanation quickly.  
  
The girl: OK. First of all, let me introduce myself. I'm Anna. I'm here to find the Chosen One that is he Point at Zidane and take him to Sacred Meridian. Oh, by the way, I didn't expect you to have a tail.  
  
Zidane: Forget about my tail! How can you proof that I'm the Chosen One?  
  
Anna: Ha! I know you would ask this question. I mean, the Wise One knows. Anyway, I'm prepared for this. First the ring. Do you have the ring?  
  
Zidane (he was kinda shocked. How the hell did she know about the ring, he thought): Yap, I have.  
  
Anna: Take it out. Zidane took the ring out from his pocket and placed it on the table  
  
Anna: Second, you're the only one who can pick it up. Zidane nodded in silence  
  
Anna: Third, did you put on the ring? If you did, it will shine. Zidane nodded again  
  
Anna: There, you're the only one who would do all these things so you're the Chosen One. End of explanation. Can we leave now?  
  
Eiko: Where are you taking him?  
  
Anna: Taking him to Sacred Meridian.  
  
Vivi: Where is that? I never heard of it.  
  
Anna: Of course, you never heard of it. It's a hidden island. But you must have heard of Monster's Mist, right?  
  
Steiner: What! That's where you are going?  
  
Anna: Yap.  
  
Dagger: What's wrong, Steiner?  
  
Steiner: My Queen, Monster's Mist is a place, or I rather say a mist full of lightning and strong wind. Ships going in there are usually struck down by the lightning and its masts were blown off by the wind. In other words, it's a place where you can go in but you can never come out alive. Are you sure you are going to that place?  
  
Anna: Of course, Sacred Meridian is inside that Monster's Mist. The mist is actually act as a shield to protect the island.  
  
Zidane: What does the light means?  
  
Anna: Huh?  
  
Zidane: The light. When I put on the ring, there's this light. What does it means? And, why am I the Chosen One?  
  
Anna: Ehh . . . that's a difficult question. Hmmm . . . actually I don't really know much about the ring. If you really want to know more, you have to see the Wise One. He can tell you everything.  
  
Zidane kept silence fore a while, thinking. Then he upped from his chair. " Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go," he said. " Alright!" Anna cheered. " You really had to go?" Dagger asked as she grabbed his hands. " I have to know what all this is about. I'm sorry. I have to go," Zidane explained. He was reluctant to go but he knew he had to. As he made his way to the door, someone halted him.  
  
" Hold your horses, Zidane Tribal. Who says you is going alone. I'm coming too," Dagger insisted as she stood up from her chair. Zidane was kinda shocked to hear this. " Remember, Zidane. I said I don't want you to carry this burden alone," she reminded him. " If it's an adventure, then how can I be left out?" Eiko stood up with her hands on her hips. " Count me in," Vivi volunteered. " I'm going wherever the Queen is going," said Steiner, in his authoritative voice. " Don't worry, my Queen. I'll do my best to protect Alexandria," she promised, bowing down in front of Dagger. " Thank you, Beatrix," Dagger said gratefully.  
  
" Well, there is a little problem," Anna suddenly spoke up, " Since so many of you are coming along, how am I going to take all of you to Sacred Meridian?"  
  
" You can use Hilda III," Beatrix suggested.  
  
" Right, let's do it," Zidane agreed to Beatrix's idea.  
  
" Hilda III?" asked Anna.  
  
" Yah, come on," urged Zidane.  
  
Zidane and the company went to a tall building that accommodated Hilda III. They prepared the ship. Its engine was running smoothly, the gates were opened and the weather's perfect for flight. Everyone was ready to go except for Anna. She was standing at the boarding bay staring at the airship. " Anna, are you coming up?" Eiko asked as she went to her side. " What's this?" Anna asked, pointing at the airship.  
  
" Hilda III," Eiko answered.  
  
" No! This entire structure. What is it?" Anna asked again, this time making her meaning of the question clearer.  
  
" It's an airship. You don't know what an airship is?" Now it's Eiko's turn to ask.  
  
" An airship huh? Wow! I never saw one in my entire life. Cool!" Anna awed at the so-called airship. Seeing one was an eye-opener for her. " You never!?" Eiko exclaimed, she was kinda startled. " Nope, never. This is the first time I leave Sacred Meridian. There's no such thing on that island," she explained.  
  
" If you never seen or heard about an airship, then how did you get here?" Eiko asked out of curiosity.  
  
" About this . . ." before Anna could continue, Steiner again interrupted their conversation who hurried them to get on board. " Oh well, I'll tell you when I have the time," she smiled and both of them boarded the airship.  
  
" Sacred Meridian, here we come," Zidane commanded as the airship launched itself forward. Under the guidance of Anna, the airship moved towards its destination.  
  
Towards Sacred Meridian, the Chosen One goes.  
  
1* how did she get to Alexandria so quickly. The story in later chapters will tell.  
  
So how? Chapter 2 is done. I am very nervous because I'm taking my results this Thursday, Oct 31st. Also, I need more reviews. R&R please! Next chapter, it's about Queen Aditya, where she comes from and her plan. Zidane meets the Wise One and the Four Elders. Chapter 3: Queen Aditya's Plan  
  
~winky golden, Oct 29th 2002 Tuesday~ 


	4. The Queen's Plan

Haha! I'm back. Sorry for the late updates for my story. I was occupied a little and my idiot brother, who returned from the army camp, occupied the computer for the entire day. And this goes on for the entire week. So I can't do anything since he's so stubborn and refuse to let me use the PC. Now that I have the chance, on with the story. Please be warned that this is a long story. I'm thankful if you have the patient to read the entire story and REVIEW.  
  
Disclaimers: I do not own FF9. Some Square soft freaks do. I own Anna, the Wise One and the 4 Elders. One more thing, there's no such thing as Monster's Mist in the game. I'm the creator of that place for this fanfic only.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3 - The Queen's Plan  
  
  
  
" Wow! This thing is fast!" Anna exclaimed as she stood at the deck of the airship. She leaned out from the side of the airship to feel the wind slapping against her face. " Of course, it's fast. You make that thing pilot this airship at full speed," he said casually as he walked out from the control cabin, his tail swaying insouciantly behind him. " It is the only way to get there quickly, Zidane," she replied. Just then, someone ran out from the cabin, bypassing Zidane. The usual cracking sound of metal accompanied him as he made his way towards Anna.  
  
" Are you certain that that thing can really take us to our destination safely?" Steiner asked. Anyone would be concern as the thing that was doing all the navigation and the piloting thing job wasn't any normal living thing or any professionals. It was Anna's prune-sized crystal ball. It was floating in front of the steering wheel, magically steering the airship.  
  
" Steiner, this is the fifteenth time you're asking me this," Anna said in an irksome tone, " Don't worry, the crystal ball will take us there. Now, trust the ball and STOP ASKING ME THE SAME QUESTION!" She stomped her feet and turned away.  
  
" Are you sure about this?" Steiner asked again.  
  
" YES!!" Anna hissed loudly. Her face was beginning to red with angry, completely annoyed by him.  
  
" Proof that your words are true," Steiner challenged as he wanted a confirmed answer.  
  
" Hey, cool off guys," Zidane said, knowing that something bad would happen if Steiner won't shut up. He was worried that Anna, out of anger, might start casting spells on Steiner or worst, on the ship itself. " Eh . . . Hey, Rusty, why don't you go check on the engine?" he suggested. " Why?" Steiner enquired. " Just go!" he hurried Steiner as he wanted to get rid of him before Anna really blew up. Not knowing why, Steiner just did as he said so and started to walk away. He stopped abrupt. Glaring at the monkey-tailed boy, he blared, " Why am I taking orders from you?"  
  
" Just go, Steiner," said a female voice.  
  
" Yes, my queen," Steiner bowed and made his way to the stern of the airship. He opened a trapdoor on the floorboard and disappeared through the hatch (A/N: The door is big enough to fit in Steiner). " It's pretty weird for something non-living to steer the airship," she remarked as she walked towards Zidane and Anna. " I agree," Eiko concurred as she followed her. Vivi was tailing behind them.  
  
" Well, Dagger. We can adjust to that," Zidane said, smiling.  
  
" I wonder when will we reach Sacred Meridian?" Eiko suddenly blurted out. It was evening now and they had been flying for the entire afternoon. " At this rate, we'll reach Sacred Meridian by tomorrow," Anna answered.  
  
" How are you so sure about this?" Zidane asked curiously.  
  
" Why, I flew to Alexandria at this speed. It's kind of strange for me to fly while standing instead of sitting," she explained.  
  
" You fly !?" Everyone said in unison.  
  
" Of course, I fly. You think I swim to Alexandria?" she said sardonically. " Look," she pointed to the gigantic body of water below them ----- the ocean, " it look so deep."  
  
" So how did you fly?" Eiko asked, eagerly tugging the flaps of Anna's coat. She wanted to know badly how she got to Alexandria.  
  
" I'll tell you when we get there so now my ways of getting to the castle is a secret," Anna smiled as she patted little Eiko's head. Eiko pouted her lips, expressing her disappointment. Then, there was everyone's familiar metallic sound. Steiner ran from the stern to the deck and stopped in front of Dagger. " Report, my queen," he saluted, " After a thorough check, the engines are working perfectly."  
  
" Hey, Rusty. I thought you should report to me. I was the one who told you to check the engine," Zidane corrected.  
  
" I did that on the account of the Queen so it's the Queen's order not you peasant's order," Steiner argued. He made a big fuss out of it, insisting that its the queen's order.  
  
" Steiner, please stop addressing me as 'Queen'. I'm now out of Alexandria so call me 'Dagger', ok?" Dagger requested.  
  
" But, my queen . . . " Steiner stopped protesting after receiving a killer's glare from Dagger and gave in, " Yes, my que . . . I mean, Miss Dagger."  
  
Something caught his attention and awed at the view. " Wow, the sunset is beautiful from here," Vivi commented. Everyone, upon hearing this, turned and looked at the setting sun. It's true for what Vivi said. The sunset in the middle of the ocean was totally different from the sunset in Alexandria. The sky was brightly colored with crimson and gold. The small patches of cloud were painted orange and red by the rays of the sun. Everyone kept quiet, drinking to their eyes content. While enjoying the scenery, someone interrupted the silence. Someone's hungry.  
  
" Is that you, Zidane?" Dagger suspected.  
  
" Umm . . . No," Zidane lied. But after receiving a you-better-tell-the- truth-or-else stare from Dagger, he owned up, " Ok, ok, it's me."  
  
" Let's eat," Eiko announced, " I, with the help of Vivi and Dagger, had just cook dinner."  
  
" About time," Anna said.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The torches flickered as the cold air stirred eerily in the mines. To be more accurate, it's not exactly a mine now. Under Queen Aditya's magical transformation, the gruesome-looking mines metamorphosed into her desired lair ----- an underground castle. The queen sat quietly in the throne room. Her cut and wounds were magically healed. Her hair was neatly combed into a bun. She wore a beautiful and unique headdress, which was the shape of a black phoenix. It was ornamented with silver and gold lining and delicate cravings. The eyes of the black phoenix were socketed with two small rubies, fully shown the iniquity and the beauty it enhanced. She wore a black low-cut grown with long translucent sleeves to go with her exquisite headdress.  
  
She sat comfortably on her throne. Her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping. Then, the door cracked opened. Aspen entered and knelt before her. " Sorry to disturb you, my queen, but our men had located the Seven Cairn Stones. I shall take you there anytime you please," he reported. She opened her eye, revealing her arctic cold emerald-green eyes. They stared coldly at him as though they could penetrate through his every bone and flesh. She lazily stood up from her seat and sauntered towards Aspen.  
  
" Take me there," Aditya commanded in a standoffish manner.  
  
" Yes, my queen," After that, Aspen stood up. He walked a few feet away from Aditya and took out a black orb. A red light shot out from the orb and a portal was created. " This was, my queen," he said as he stepped aside to make way for her. After the queen disappeared through the portal, Aspen followed suit.  
  
Out of the blue, a portal opened in an unknown dark territory. It was in one of the many, many unexplored chambers of the underground. Coming out from the portal was Queen Aditya and Aspen. In front of them, were seven slabs of stones in a formation of a circle. Each slab had its own unique signs on it. She walked to one of the rune stones and touched it's coarse surface. Then, her luscious lips broke in to a malicious smile. She spoke, " Yes, these are the Cairn Stones indeed." Then, she walked to the center of the circle and stood still. She placed her hands together, like she's praying and began to mutter something sinister.  
  
The chilling air began to galvanize. The strong wind circulated in the chamber as if it had brought in all the coldness, darkness and the evil the entire castle possessed. Then, the signs on each stone started to glow red ----- blood red. The moment the signs began to glow, the wind in the chamber grew stronger. Seconds later, the signs were projected out of the seven stones. The strong gust surrounded the 7 projected signs, each becoming large balls of wind, turning and twisting with great velocity. Suddenly, colossal amount of red light was produced from every ball, painting the entire area blood red. When all light abated, the balls slowly morphed into beings, creatures which harness great power.  
  
" We await your orders, Your Majesty," the said uniformly, as they went down on one knee.  
  
Aditya put down her hands and looked at her Summons. " I want all of you to find the Chosen One and his Seven Stones. Make sure that he's alive. Now go," she ordered.  
  
" Yes," they answered and teleported themselves away to the outside world.  
  
" Do not disappoint me, Seven Apocalypse," she murmured coldly.  
  
" Pardon me, my queen, but why do you want to keep the Chosen One alive? Isn't he better off be dead," Aspen suddenly asked.  
  
" Aspen, I'm a greedy person. I want more than Gaia. I want everything, the entire universe. And the person who is going to help me accomplish this is the Chosen One.  
  
" Before I die, I actually found out something crucial. Gaia is at the center of everything. In other words, Gaia leads to many other worlds. But there's a problem. No matter how hard I tried or how powerful I am, I can never open the Doorway, the road to other dimensions. But there is one thing that can open the Doorway. The ring the Chosen One had is the key to it. And the only one who can release that power is the Chosen One himself. A fool Gadania was. She sacrificed herself to destroy me but now I can use her powers to conquer the universe. One by one, they'll all be mine. By then, I can even have the power to control Heaven and Hell. Everyone shall bow down to me," she said as she laughed mirthlessly.  
  
" How are you going to obtain the ring's power if we can't even touch it?" questioned Aspen. The queen just stared at him and said nothing. Thinking that he had said something wrong, Aspen immediately knelt on the ground. Trembling with fear, he pleaded, " Spared me, my queen, for questioning your power." " Rise, Aspen. Don't worry. I know what to do ," Aditya said, her lips lopsided, obviously up to no good. " Oh yes, by the way, Aspen. You should look at the sun more often. Remember its beauty, it's vibrant, and its color. You might not have the chance again in the future," Aditya reminded Aspen.  
  
" Pardon me, my queen, but I can't do as you say," Aspen replied. The queen looked at him, slightly shocked to hear about this. Then he, with a malevolent smirk, continued, " I prefer night than day."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The sun rises. Its morning and everyone was refreshed from a good night sleep. As you see, Hilda III had been modified for traveling purposes so the airship was equipped with the traveling necessaries like room accommodations and most importantly the kitchen. But not everything went well last night. Steiner was worried sick about the crystal ball doing the piloting so he kept bothering Anna. And Anna, out of anger (A/N: People are bad tempered when lack of sleep), cast a Sleep spell on him. Until now, Steiner was still asleep.  
  
" Anna, I think the Sleep spell you cast is too powerful," Dagger commented as she looked at the motionless body.  
  
" Serve him right for annoying me last night," Anna stated as she folded her arms and kicked the knight's armor.  
  
Rapid footsteps of running could be heard echoing along the corridor, accompanied by a little girl's yelling, " Dagger! Anna! Come, see this." Eiko was jumping up and down excitedly after she kicked the door opened. The two women decided to abandon Steiner and follow Eiko. As soon as they reached the deck, she gasped at what she saw afar.  
  
There was a mist in the middle of the ocean. It's dark and gloomy and worst of all, there were patches of light that went on and off in non- rhythmic pattern. They were the lightning that Steiner described about it the conference room. It was unnatural for mist to produce lightning. " That's Monster's Mist. And Sacred Meridian is in there," Anna exclaimed as she pointed towards the treacherous-looking mist.  
  
" A-are y-you sure we're g-going in there?" Vivi stammered timidly.  
  
" Of course," Anna replied confidently.  
  
As the airship moved nearer and nearer towards the mist, strong wind began to rock the airship. Everyone on the deck moved into the safety of the control cabin, all except Anna. " Anna, come on in," Zidane shouted but there was no replies from her. She just stood there motionless.  
  
" Dagger, take care of the others while I go get Anna," Zidane said loudly as the howling of the wind was extremely noisy. He slowly stumbled his way across the deck as the airship wobbled vigorously. As he's not far away from Anna, he called, " Hey, Anna!" but again, no response. Suddenly, Anna ripped off the key from her neck. The golden thread, which supported the key on her neck, shrank back into the key. In a split second, it began to gleam brightly.  
  
Zidane watched in amazement as the key's gold light enveloped Anna. When the light vanished, she was holding a golden staff. It's about 1.8m long and the head of the staff was implanted with a big red octagonal crystal. The red stone was framed with gold, making it looked like the sun. The key turned into the staff. She held the staff with her both outstretched hands. A beam of red light came out from the glowing stone. When the light reached the mist, it subdivided into many threads of thin light and outlined the shape of a gate. After the lights completed their drawing of the gate, they disappeared and the gate liquefied.  
  
Without stopping, Hilda III passed through the liquid-liked gate. The turbulence stopped. Zidane was astonished by the inside of the mist. They were now actually traveling in some sort of tunnel and it's a very weird tunnel. The walls of the tunnel had an array of different colored stars, flashing and changing their colors against the black backdrop. Dagger and the two children took cover in the control cabin were also amazed by what they saw. Almost instantly, the door to the rooms swayed opened fiercely. Steiner, who just woke up, didn't know what happened. He was completely baffled.  
  
" What happened?" Steiner questioned.  
  
" This is the tunnel to Sacred Meridian," Anna answered as she entered the control cabin with Zidane. She continued, " In other words, we are now inside the Monster's Mist."  
  
" The staff . . . " Dagger pointed out to the long staff Anna's still holding.  
  
" Oh this. This is my staff. The key I wear is the miniature of this staff, which changes into this staff. Got it?" Anna explained in a very quick manner.  
  
" Yeah, I think," Zidane scratched the back of his neck , trying to figure out what she just said.  
  
" Very soon, we'll be in Sacred Meridian, so let's rest and recover from that turbulence we experienced just now," Anna suggested, specking like a tourist guide.  
  
  
  
**15 minutes later**  
  
  
  
The airship finally reached the end of the tunnel. Like how the airship entered the tunnel, it exited through the watery gate. Everyone on board except for Anna awed at the sight. It was an island full with greenery. There was a large water catchment area or lake at the center of the island. The sun and the wind were gratifying. Another good thing about the island was that what you see from inside if the mist was totally different from the outside. Instead of the gloomy and terrifying-looking mist, it's a huge column of pure white clouds that surrounded the island. The top was clear and opened to let the sunshine in. The island was like a paradise. " This is Sacred Meridian," Anna noted.  
  
  
  
** 20 - 25 minutes **  
  
  
  
The airship landed a few kilometers away from a nearby town on the island. " Too bad, you can't take this thing in," Anna said.  
  
" How come?" Eiko asked.  
  
" Well, if you take this WHOLE thing in, you would probably scare the people," Anna clarified, " That's because no one in the town seen this kind of thing before. Understand?" When they heard this, they didn't know how to reply. They just stared blankly at Anna. " Hey what cha staring at? Come on, let's go," Anna urged. Everyone agreed and started their hike to the largest and the main town on the island. After walking for sometime, they finally reached their destination.  
  
The people here flabbergasted the group. Many were flying around on broomsticks and long staff. Everyone was wearing strange costume and clothing and sold even stranger items. It was an eye-opener for them. There was no such activities around Mist Continent or other continents and villages they been to. " So this must be how Anna come to Alexandria," Eiko guessed in her mind, as flying around pole-like things seemed to be their main mode of transport.  
  
The people in the town were even more curious about the newcomers. Some stared at them, some were whispering to their neighbor's ears, others continued to mind their own business. " Ignore them. They just look at you because you are the first batch of outsiders to enter Sacred Meridian," Anna said, which kind of making everyone bewildered about this.  
  
After receiving all the stares from the locals and the strange questions and comments from the curious children (example: Why does that boy have a tail? / How come that little girl has a horn? / Are all outsiders like this? etc.), they finally reached the ancient-looking temple Anna had been excitedly talking about, the Holy Ring Temple. The group didn't know they were expected, for five elderly people were waiting outside the temple. " Hey, isn't that the Wise One and the Four Elders. They were highly respected people in the temple and on the island," Anna said.  
  
The old man with his walking stick walked slowly towards Zidane. He had long white hair and beard and wore a white cape and pants with symbols on them. The four people behind him followed. They bowed. " Umm . . . You don't have to do this," Zidane said awkwardly as he wasn't used to have people bowing in respect of him.  
  
" No," the old man insisted in a very formal way, " It's my honor to have you here, Chosen One." Then, he flashed his cheeky grin, he continued, " Welcome to Sacred Meridian. We are really grateful to have you here."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
So how? Finally, Zidane get to meet the elders. And I finally finish typing this. I have to admit this story is loonngg. Next chapter is about a strange corridor that is related to the ring, Zidane's answers and what happen 3000 years ago. Please read & review. Catch the next chapter - Enter the Forbidden Corridor.  
  
~winky golden, Nov 9th 2002, Saturday~ 


	5. Enter the Forbidden Corridor

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Mistake! Mistake! Mistake! Mistake! I make a mistake last chap but I have changed it already. This mistake didn't affect the story but the chapter. How? Well, I said I would have the chapter called 3000 years ago up as Chapter 4. But I suddenly decided to put up another chapter instead of this. And this chapter (3000 years ago) will be the next chapter, Chap 5, OK? Sorry!  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
winky: Let Quina do this.  
  
Quina: Me do what?  
  
Winky: The disclaimers.  
  
Quina: What disclaimer? Me can eat disclaimers?  
  
Winky: No you can't. Disclaimers are not food. Oh never, I'll do this. I don't own any characters from FF9. The squaresoft did. However I own Anna and other characters and places not in the game. See Quina. This is called disclaimers, understand?  
  
Quina: Who is Anna? Can eat?  
  
Anna: Hey! How can you eat me, you long tongue freak!  
  
Winky: Ok, ok. The chapter's about to begin. Get back into the story, Anna, even though you are not in this chap.  
  
Anna: Ok. Wait! I'M NOT IN THIS CHAPTER!  
  
Winky: Shut up! **Throws Anna back into the story**  
  
  
  
Chapter 4 - Enter the Forbidden Corridor  
  
  
  
Zidane was walking along the corridor, accompanied by the Wise One. The old man was taking him to some place but he did not know where. All he knew was that there was no one in the temple except for the two of them, for they didn't meet anyone for the past ten minutes. He was also wondering what happened to the Four Elders. The Wise One suddenly stopped at a door. Zidane, not realizing that he stopped, knocked into him.  
  
" Sorry, I was thinking just now and I . . ." Zidane immediately apologized and was embarrassed. But before he could finish what he was saying, the Wise One raised his palm to his face and interrupted, " If you want to apologized, speck to my hand." Then, Zidane shut up his mouth up and said nothing. He was kind of startled by the old man's weird actions.  
  
The king-sized wooden door was pushed opened. The features of the huge hall bowled Zidane. The walls were in a very unusual blue and it seemed to glow a little. There were many, many cushions piled up neatly at one side of the hall and the glass ceiling brightened the place up. " This is the meditation hall," the Wise One noted. " I have asked the Four Elders to take all the students away from the temple, so there'll be no one to disturb us. Feel free to speak your mind out or ask any question, Mr. Zidane," he said in a friendly and welcoming manner.  
  
" Ok. But first, it's funny when I'm called 'Mr. Zidane' so just call me 'Zidane', ok?" Zidane requested.  
  
" Sure, no problem," the Wise One said casually.  
  
Feeling more comfortable around the old guy, Zidane decided to relax a bit and be more of himself. " Ask Questions? I have a lot in my brain now. So how shall I begin?" Zidane said to himself.  
  
" Many questions, yet don't know which to ask first huh?" the Wise One rephrased Zidane's little dilemma. He rubbed his thumb and index finger against his hairy chin as he put on his thinking cup. As for Zidane, he wasn't sure why the Wise One would mind someone else's meaningless (to him) problem. There was an odd silence as the old man thinks. Even the notorious thief didn't dare to break the silence.  
  
" Aha!" the Wise One exclaimed loudly and instantly as an idea hit him. But the sudden 'Aha' startled our unaware genome. " I know what to do," he suggested jovially, " I'll bring you through the Forbidden Corridor. After you know what happened, you'll know where to begin."  
  
" The Forbidden Corridor? I don't know what it is but if it can help me, then why not?" Zidane accepted the Wise One's suggestion. The Wise one nodded and said, " Very well then. Follow me."  
  
They went to the far right corner of the hall. That corner was gloomy as little amount of light shone on that area. There was a curtain and it was covering something. The old man drew the curtains, revealing a big gray door. The door looked ancient and obsolete as if it had not been used for years.  
  
The Wise One, with some help from Zidane, pushed the old and 'stubborn' door opened. It was a room, an empty room. It was dark and dusky. " Stay here," the Wise One ordered as he groped around the moldy wall for an unlit torch. Once he found it, he cast a small Fire spell to light up the room. The light of the burning torch exposed the interior of the room. There were cobwebs everywhere, hanging on the corners of the ceiling, and the air in the room was not very clean; it's dusty. Zidane nearly choked inside the room. But the Wise One just laughed.  
  
" Pardon me, Zidane. But you must understand that this room hasn't been opened or used for the past . . . umm . . . 20 years, I think," he joked. Zidane just stared blankly at him.  
  
There was a small jewel stinking out of the wall. The Wise One turned the jewel like a door knot. A strange door appeared out of nowhere from the wall and it sledded opened. Zidane was bemused by the immediate appearance of the entrance. So this room wasn't empty like it's seemed to be, he thought. The door led to a pitch-black and deep doorway. It's like it was able to swallow anyone who entered.  
  
" This is the Forbidden Corridor. Don't mind if you enter?" the Wise One asked. Zidane thought about the past. His discovery of the ring, the appearance of Anna and how he finally reached the source of this problem and the solutions ----- Sacred Meridian. And now, he's standing in front of the might-be answer. He had to give it a shot.  
  
" Of course, I don't mind," Zidane answered without hesitation or regrets. Then, the Wise One said, " Well lad, let me tell you something. I do not know what's waiting for you in there. But don't worry, I'll be with you." He patted Zidane's bare shoulder to reassure him. Zidane just nodded.  
  
Both Zidane and the Wise One entered the creepy and mysterious Forbidden Corridor.  
  
  
  
Once again, sorry for the mistakes and any inconveniences. What happen in the Forbidden Corridor? Wanna know? Just catch the next chapter - 3000 years ago. Pls. read and review.  
  
~winky golden~ written on Nov 14th Thursday Uploaded on Nov 16th Saturday. That's because I had trouble loading in FF.net. I panic for two days and then, tada! My server finally was connected into FF.net. 


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